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Updated: Jun 12, 2026

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Published on: November 6, 2017
Vascular health, diabetes, APOE and dementia: the Aging, Demographics, and Memory Study
David J Llewellyn1, Iain A Lang, Fiona E Matthews
1Public Health and Epidemiology Group, Peninsula Medical School, Barrack Road, Exeter, EX2 5DW, UK. david.llewellyn@pms.ac.uk.
Introduction:
Evidence from clinical samples and geographically limited population studies suggests that vascular health, diabetes and apolipoprotein epsilon4 (APOE) are associated with dementia.
Methods:
A population-based sample of 856 individuals aged 71 years or older from all contiguous regions of the United States received an extensive in-home clinical and neuropsychological assessment in 2001-2003. The relation of hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, medication usage, and APOE epsilon4 to dementia was modelled using adjusted multivariable logistic regression.
Results:
Treated stroke (odds ratio [OR] 3.8, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.0, 7.2), untreated stroke (OR 3.5, 95% CI 1.7, 7.3), and APOE epsilon4 (OR 2.8, 95% CI 1.7, 4.5) all increased the odds of dementia. Treated hypertension was associated with lower odds of dementia (OR 0.5, 95% CI 0.3, 1.0). Diabetes and heart disease were not significantly associated with dementia. A significant interaction was observed between APOE epsilon4 and stroke (P = 0.001).
Conclusions:
Data from the first dementia study that is representative of the United States population suggest that stroke, the APOE epsilon4 allele and their interaction are strongly associated with dementia.
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